HERE'S our latest soundbytes and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.
THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN
PIC OF THE WEEK...
The victorious Leicester team with their supporters after Saturday’s dramatic Championship Play-Off semi-final aggregate win against Redcar. The Lions will now face Glasgow over two legs in the shoot-out for the title. Picture: STEVE DIXON
PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
IPSWICH “At the end of the day it is 0-0 at the start of the meeting and we have got to do what we did to Poole when we are at home and run them close away. It will be a really good meeting against Swindon.” Witches star Jake Allen is expected to be a key man in the Premiership Grand Final at reserve against Swindon – and he is predicting another thriller, following their semi-final success over Poole. NEXT HOME: Swindon, Prem Grand Final, Tues Oct 15 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Prem Grand Final, Thur Oct 17 (7.30)
KING’S LYNN “It is important for me to have a good end to the season. I have really got going for Lynn in the second half of the season which is good and hopefully it puts me in the picture for 2020.” Stars vice-captain Lewis Kerr is targeting a return next season when they will look to return to play-off contention after fading from the picture this year. NEXT HOME: GB v Denmark, Wed Oct 23 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Poole (PSC), TBC
PETERBOROUGH “We started off ok but then we got a couple of injuries, and it hasn’t been easy at all. But it’s just been one of those seasons that you can’t do too much about unfortunately.” British Champion Charles Wright was one of the success stories of a tough return to top-flight racing for the Panthers, who round off their campaign at Wolverhampton on Sunday. NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton (PSC), Sun Oct 20 (4pm)
POOLE “Although the club still remains for sale, we are only prepared to do that should the right offer be made and it is the intentions of the current management team to still be running the club in 2020 with my son Dan taking a more hands-on role and becoming far more involved in a move that I feel certain will benefit the club.” Pirates promoter Matt Ford confirms it should be business as usual next season at Wimborne Road, albeit with slight changes behind the scenes. NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn (PSC), TBC
SWINDON “It’s been a fantastic season so far, we’ve already won the Supporters’ Cup and now it would be nice to do the double. We’ve never done the double so far so that would be fantastic for our history, and if the boys keep riding like they are, I can’t see any reason why we can’t do it.” Robins boss Alun Rossiter is targeting the best season in the club’s history – if they can overcome Ipswich in the Premiership Grand Final this week. NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Prem Grand Final, Thur Oct 17 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Prem Grand Final, Tues Oct 15 (7.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON “We have absolutely no excuses and no complaints. They were the much better team over both legs, particularly here at Swindon though, and we couldn’t keep pace with them.” Wolves boss Peter Adams gave an honest assessment of a chastening play-off semi-final defeat to Swindon, where his side went down by a 36-point aggregate margin after losing the opener at home in wet conditions. NEXT HOME: Peterborough (PSC), Sun Oct 20 (4pm)
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES...
GLASGOW “It's the one I think everyone wanted to see, so let's bring it on and see what happens. I think it will just take one team to have a little bit more form than the other, and that would be the deciding factor.” Tigers boss Cami Brown expects a blockbusting Grand Final encounter with Leicester this week as the sides chase the Championship title. NEXT HOME: Leicester, Champ Grand Final, Fri Oct 18 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Champ Grand Final, Sat Oct 19 (7.30)
LEICESTER “The meeting had absolutely everything, and I think that’s what the play-offs bring. I’ve never had riders asking me so often what the score was, because normally they’re concentrating on their own jobs, but they all knew how important and close it was.” Lions boss Stewart Dickson saw his side overcome Redcar in a tension-packed semi-final at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena last Saturday, with the aggregate result going right down to the last race. NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Champ Grand Final, Sat Oct 19 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Champ Grand Final, Fri Oct 18 (7.30)
NEWCASTLE “Redcar have had a superb season and they are rightly the favourites however that suits us down to the ground. Two-horse races often end up with a surprise result, we are more than capable of producing a fine performance and coming out on top.” Diamonds boss George English is ready for the challenge of trying to overcome a 12-point deficit in the second leg of the KO Cup Final against Redcar on Sunday. NEXT HOME: Redcar, KO Cup Final, Sun Oct 20 (6.30)
REDCAR The Bears suffered heartbreak in the Championship play-offs as they lost out to Leicester by just two points in the semi-final, but still have the chance for silverware when they visit Newcastle in the KO Cup on Sunday. NEXT HOME: Teesside Silver Helmet, Fri Oct 25 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Newcastle, KO Cup Final, Sun Oct 20 (7.30)
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE “The boys can be proud of themselves this year and we still have the KOC Grand Final, so while we bow out of the play-offs we can still win a trophy.” Colts co-boss Graham Goodwin hopes his side can gain reward for their efforts this season when they face Leicester in the KO Cup Final, following their play-off exit to Kent. NEXT HOME: Leicester, KO Cup Final, Fri Oct 25 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, KO Cup Final, Wed Oct 23 (6.30)
CRADLEY The Heathens have confirmed the line-up for their season finale, with the likes of Ben Morley, Tom Perry and Nathan Stoneman joining the top home riders in the FAST Golden Hammer on October 28. NEXT HOME: FAST Golden Hammer, Mon Oct 28 (7.30)
KENT The Kings will now host the second leg of the National League Grand Final after bad weather on Monday forced the postponement of the scheduled opener against Leicester at Central Park. NEXT HOME: Leicester, NL Grand Final, Mon Oct 21 (6.30) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, NL Grand Final, Wed Oct 16 (7.30)
LEICESTER “Every rider wearing the Leicester colours in 2019 has made massive progress and climbed several rungs of that metaphorical ladder. These Lion Cubs now have earned total respect from other league members this year and have proven to have very sharp teeth in competition.” Co-promoter Neil Machin pays tribute to the development of the club’s National League riders as they prepare to contest two big Finals over the next seven days. NEXT HOME: Kent, NL Grand Final, Wed Oct 16 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Kent, NL Grand Final, Mon Oct 21 (6.30)
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY OCTOBER 15: PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Ipswich v Swindon 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16: NATIONAL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Leicester v Kent 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 17: PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Swindon v Ipswich 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 18: CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Glasgow v Leicester 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19: CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Leicester v Glasgow 7.30
SUNDAY OCTOBER 20: PREMIERSHIP SUPPORTERS’ CUP: Wolverhampton v Peterborough 4pm CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP FINAL 2nd leg: Newcastle v Redcar 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe 5pm BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 7: Wolverhampton (follows PSC fixture)
MONDAY OCTOBER 21: NATIONAL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Kent v Leicester 6.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23: NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP FINAL 1st leg: Leicester v Belle Vue 7.30 GREAT BRITAIN GLOBAL CHALLENGE: Great Britain v Denmark (at King’s Lynn) 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25: NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP FINAL 2nd leg: Belle Vue v Leicester 7.30 TEESSIDE SILVER HELMET: Redcar 7.30
SUNDAY OCTOBER 27: 90th ANNIVERSARY: Newcastle 6.30
MONDAY OCTOBER 28: FAST GOLDEN HAMMER: Cradley 7.30
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL, Berwick 1 Dan Bewley (Belle Vue) 15 2 Leon Flint (Berwick/Armadale) 14 3 Anders Rowe (Swindon/Somerset) 13
Abandoned - Curfew - Result declared after heat 20
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17:
FIM MONSTER ENERGY SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS - FINAL, Lublin, Poland 1 RUSSIA 23 (Emil Sayfutdinov 15, Artem Laguta 8) 2 POLAND 23 (Barosz Zmarzlik 15, Szymon Wozniak 8) 3 DENMARK 19 (Leon Madsen 10, Marcus Birkemose 5, Anders Thomsen 4) 4 SWEDEN 19 (Fredrik Lindgren 14, Oilver Berntzon 5) 5 AUSTRALIA 17 (Max Fricke 12, Jason Doyle 5, Jaimon Lidsey 0) 6 GREAT BRITAIN 12 (Robert Lambert 6, Dan Bewley 6, Drew Kemp 0) 7 CZECH REPUBLIC 11 (Vacliv Milik 11, Eduard Krcmar 0, Petr Chlupac 0) Abandoned after 14 Heats - Result stands (Russia crowned 2020 FIM Speedway of Nations Champions)
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16:
FIM MONSTER ENERGY SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS - FINAL, 1st leg, Lublin, Poland OFF - Track Waterlogged The Final will now be a one-legged event (Saturday October 17)
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 5, Belle Vue 500cc (a) 1 Dan Thompson 2 Harry McGurk 3 Jake Mulford 4 Elliot Kelly Dan Thompson is 500cc Champion
500cc (b - support class) 1 Danny Smith 2 Alex Goldsbrough 3 Sam Peters 4 Katie Gordon
250cc 1 Luke Harrison 2 Max James 3 Cameron Taylor 4 Ashton Vale Luke Harrison is 250cc Champion
125cc (a) 1 Sonny Springer 2 Ace Pijper 3 William Cairns 4 Ben Trigger Sonny Springer is 125cc Champion
125cc (b - support class) 1 Stene Pijper 2 Oliver Bovingdon 3 Owen Booth 4 Caydin Martin
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 8 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Torun 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 20 2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 18 3 Artem Laguta (Rus) 16 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 14
FINAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 8 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 133 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 117 - after run-off 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 117 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 107 Bartosz Zmarzlik crowned 2020 World Champion
FRIDAY OCTOBER 2:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 7 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Torun 1 Max Fricke (Aus) 20 2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 18 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 16 4 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 7 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarslik (Pol) 113 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 105 3 Fredrik Lindgren 103 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 89
CALEDONIAN RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
1. William Lawson
2. Kyle Bickley
3. Leon Flint
4. Elliot Kelly
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29:
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHALLENGE
Plymouth Select v Leicester Select - OFF
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28:
BRITISH FINAL, Belle Vue 1 Rory Schlein (Wolverhampton/Somerset) 2 Richard Lawson (Sheffield/Eastbourne) 3 Jason Crump (Ipswich) 4 Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Poole)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26:
BRITISH FINAL, Ipswich - OFF Re-staging date: Monday September 28 @ BELLE VUE
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24:
CHALLENGE
Belle Vue Select 49 – Dan Bewley 13+1
ATPI All Stars 41 – Rory Schlein 11+1
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22:
CHALLENGE
Plymouth Select 51 – Henry Atkins 18
British Young Lions 39 – Dan Thompson 10
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21:
BRITISH UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP, Scunthorpe 1 Drew Kemp (Ipswich/Eastbourne) 15 2 Dan Gilkes (Kent) 14 3 Jordan Palin (Scunthorpe/Belle Vue) 10 (after run-off)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 4, Edinburgh
500cc 1 Joe Thompson 2 Dan Thompson 3 Harry McGurk 4 Archie Freeman
250cc 1 Max James 2 Ashton Vale (Two riders only in Final)
125cc (a) 1 Max Perry 2 William Cairns 3 Sonny Springer 4 Ben Trigger
125cc (b) – Support class 1 Stene Pijper 2 Owen Booth 3 Rebecca Weston 4 Harry Fletcher
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 6 CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX, Prague 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (POL) 20
2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 18
3 Jason Doyle (Aus) 16 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 6 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 99 2 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 92 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 89 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 71
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 5 CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX, Prague 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 20 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 18 3 Martin Vaculik (Slk) 16 4 Emil Sayfutdinov (Rus) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 5 of 8) 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 79 2 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 78 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 71 4 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 62
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Gorzow 1 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 20 2 Leon Madsen (Den) 18 3 Jason Doyle (Aus) 16 4 Emil Sayfutdnov (Rus) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 4 of 8) 1 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 66 2 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 59 3 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 57 4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 53
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Gorzow 1 Bartosz Zamarzlik (Pol) 20 2 Jason Doyle (Aus) 18 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 16 4 Leon Madsen (Den) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 3 of 8) 1 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 48 2 Bartisz Zmarzlik (Pol) 47 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 46 4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 43
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE CHALLENGE Leicester Select v Scunthorpe Select - OFF
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8:
THREE TEAM TOURNAMENT, Plymouth
Eastbourne 31 – Tom Brennan 10, Jason Edwards 10
Isle of Wight 30 – Ben Morley 13
Plymouth 28- Alfie Bowtell 12
MONDAY AUGUST 31:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE CHALLENGE Scunthorpe Select 53 (Jordan Palin 14+1) Leicester Select 61 (Dan Thompson 13+1)
SUNDAY AUGUST 30:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP - Round 3, King’s Lynn 500cc 1 Joe Thompson 2 Harry McGurk 3 Elliot Kelly 4 Dan Thompson
250cc 1 Luke Harrison 2 Max James 3 Ashton Vale 4 Jody Scott
125cc (a) 1 Sonny Springer 2 Billy Budd 3 Jamie Etherington 4 Jack Shimelt
125cc (b - support class) 1 Rico Joyce 2 Becky Weston 3 Caydin Martin
SATURDAY AUGUST 29:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Wroclaw 1 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 20 2 Tai Woffinden (GB) 18 3 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol) 16 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 14
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After round 2 of 8) 1 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 38 2 Artem Laguta (Rus) 32 3 Tai Woffinden (GB) 32 4 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 30
FRIDAY AUGUST 28:
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1 POLISH GRAND PRIX, Wroclaw 1 Artem Laguta (Rus) 20 2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 18 3 Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 16 4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 14
SATURDAY AUGUST 22:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP - Round 2, Leicester 500cc 1 Dan Thompson 2 Joe Thompson 3 Elliot Kelly 4 Harry McGurk
250cc 1 Luke Harrison 2 Max James 3 Ashton Vale 4 Cameron Taylor
125cc (a) 1 Max Perry 2 Sonny Springer 3 Ben Trigger 4 Ace Pijper
125cc (b) - support class 1 Charlie Wood 2 Caydin Martin 3 Rico Joyce 4 Owen Booth
SUNDAY AUGUST 9:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP - Round 1, Scunthorpe 500cc 1 Jordan Palin 2 Dan Thompson 3 Archie Freeman 4 Joe Thompson
250cc 1 Max James 2 Luke Harrison 3 Ashton Vale 4 William Hocaniuk
125cc (class A) 1 William Cairns 2 Sonny Springer 3 Ben Trigger 4 Max Perry
125cc (class B - support class) 1 Billy Budd 2 Stene Pijper 3 Jake Lee 4 Owen Booth
SUNDAY MARCH 15:
50TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING, Peterborough - OFF
SATURDAY MARCH 14:
BEN FUND BONANZA, Scunthorpe 1 Danny King (Ipswich/Poole) 2 Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Poole) 3 Josh Auty (Scunthorpe) 4 Lewis Kerr (King’s Lynn/Eastbourne)